Pathankot attack: Pakistan JIT to complete probe this week

Pakistan last week initiated a five-member JIT to probe the terror attack on the Pathankot airbase, a week after it lodged an FIR over the assault without naming Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) chief Masood Azhar.

The Pakistani team probing the Pathankot air base attack will complete its probe this week, a top official said on Monday.

“The Joint Investigation Team (JIT) will complete probe into Pathankot incident this week,” Prime Minister’s special assistant on foreign affairs Syed Tariq Fatemi was quoted as saying by Radio Pakistan.

Pakistan last week initiated a five-member JIT to probe the terror attack on the Pathankot airbase, a week after it lodged an FIR over the assault without naming Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) chief Masood Azhar who India has accused of having masterminded the strike.

Earlier, a six-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) was set up by the federal government for the initial probe into the January 2 attack based on the leads given by India.

Three men arrested for their alleged role in the attack were sent to a six-day police remand by an anti-terrorism court in Gujranwala city of Punjab on Saturday.

The FIR by the counter-terrorism department of Punjab Police has been lodged on the basis of information provided by National Security Adviser Ajit Doval that four attackers crossed from Pakistan into India and attacked the air base.

The attack led to the postponement of a scheduled meeting between foreign secretaries of Pakistan and India in January in Islamabad.

Since then, no date has been fixed for the talks. Meanwhile, Fatemi also said the dates for the upcoming SAARC Summit in Islamabad are being worked out in consultation with member states. He said Prime Minister Narendra Modi is also expected to attend the summit.